English, Charles Angus

Charles Angus English was born in Woolwich, Ontario, on 22 December 1888. The second of William and Elizabeth English’s six children, he married Ida Christena Gibbons in Perth, Ontario, on 2 July 1912.

English stated that his trade was “finisher” when he enlisted in the 71st Canadian Infantry Battalion on 14 September 1915 in Stratford, Ontario. He also noted that he had militia experience, having served three years in the 28th Perth Regiment.

After initial training in Canada, English and his unit embarked for England from Halifax, Nova Scotia, on 1 April 1916. Their ship, SS Olympic, docked in Liverpool 10 days later. The 71st Battalion then moved to Oxney Camp, Hampshire. While there, English was transferred to the 74th Canadian Infantry Battalion, which provided reinforcements to units already in the field.

On 8 June 1916, English was sent to France as a reinforcement for the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR). Three months later, on 16 September 1916, he was killed in action during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. That day, the RCR had been ordered to attack parts of the Zollern and Fabeck trench systems. Although it met its objectives, in the space of 11 hours (5 p.m. to 4 a.m.), the battalion suffered over 250 casualties. English’s body was not recovered from the battlefield.

Charles Angus English is commemorated on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial, on Vimy Ridge, in France.